Excerpts from trial tapes

In a secretly recorded conversation, ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich talked about finding a "black Albert Einstein" or an "African-American Tammy Duckworth," referring to the former congressional candidate who lost her legs in the Iraq war, to fill Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat. This wiretapped conversation with former chief of staff John Harris on Nov. 21, 2008, indicates that he gave serious consideration to TV host Oprah Winfrey:

John Harris: Yeah, I mean thinkin' about the Oprah thing, I think that's, that's crazy.

Rod Blagojevich: Yeah, see, that's where you're wrong.

Harris: (Laughs.) No, I'm not.

Blagojevich: Yeah.

Harris: I mean, your political instincts are your political instincts, I just think, geez, ah, that would certainly be way out

there. I'm not sure what she stands for. Other than a, a, a, a celebrity who's African-American.

Blagojevich: That's right.

Harris: I don't know what her value system is or anything like that.

Blagojevich: Well, she, she's the king-maker. She made Obama. We know she's a Democrat. We know she's for Obama.

Harris: Right. So, is it you're tryin' to shed some grace on thee, by picking her?

Blagojevich: What do you mean?

Harris: Meaning isn't it just simply you're lookin' for a celebrity to be your friend?

Blagojevich: No, no, 'cause she can totally blow you off. No, not at all. This one, she's so up there, so high, that nobody can assail this pick. This would be huge.

Harris: No, no, I think they'd like her.

Blagojevich: Yeah.

Harris: They would, they would diminish you for making, meaning, meaning after she's there ...

Blagojevich: Yeah.

Harris: They'd love her, but they would say, "Oh, geez, here's Rod tryin' to, tryin' to get some of that, ah, gold dust sprinkled on him by her."

Blagojevich: Yeah, I mean, they'll say what they say, but I'm not worried about that.

In another passage of that same wiretap, Blagojevich pushes Harris for a longer list of Senate options:

Blagojevich: Is there a Mother Teresa type out there? You know what I'm sayin'?

Harris: Mm-hmm.

(Pause.)

Blagojevich: Marian Wright Edelman, you know her?

Harris: No.

Blagojevich: Children's Defense Fund, active. Not in Illinois. Doesn't live in Illinois, I don't think. She prob—, D.C. I mean, can you do somethin' like that?